Bills Eye Syracuse QB Nassib

Ryan Nassib came out of Syracuse University with a degree in football, and one in finance, so he knows all about volatility, both on the field and in the world of the Fortune 500 and Dow Jones.

But nothing he studied on film in the football meeting rooms at Manley Field House or in the classrooms of the Whitman School of Management could possibly replicate the tumultuous nature of his own stock as it pertains to the NFL Draft, which kicks off Thursday.

"I've heard everything from first pick of the draft to free agency, just like I have all throughout college," Nassib said with a smirking smile. "I'll take it all with a grain of salt. It is what it is."

This is a rare year where there isn't a clear-cut No. 1 quarterback available in the draft, nor are there prodigies - such as Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III last year - who you can safely predict will be a certain first-round choice and future star.

After months of training, the scouting combine, his pro day, numerous private workouts and interviews, and an appearance on Jon Gruden's QB Camp show, Nassib is one of several quarterbacks who truly have no idea when they'll be chosen, or who might select them.

But unlike the other leading prospects such as Geno Smith, Matt Barkley, Tyler Wilson, and E.J. Manuel, Nassib has one intangible none of them can claim: He knows a couple of guys.

They would be, of course, his former head coach and offensive coordinator at Syracuse, Doug Marrone and Nathaniel Hackett, who now hold those positions with the quarterback-starved Buffalo Bills.

Naturally, given that connection and the success the Orange enjoyed on offense the past couple of years with Nassib operating Syracuse's diverse attack, rumors are flying that Nassib will end up in Buffalo. Whether that's at No. 8 overall in the first round, at No. 41 overall in the second round, or perhaps somewhere in between due to a trade scenario is anyone's guess.